Tian Fan gripped the Yin-Yang Sword tightly as he stepped forward, his surroundings shrouded in thick, pitch-black demonic mist. An overwhelming aura of death emanated from within, but it couldn’t stop his determined stride.
“You… how is this possible?!”
The black-clad man ahead involuntarily took a step back, his voice trembling.
“Who sent you?”
Tian Fan’s expression remained cold as he pressed forward relentlessly. He dragged the Yin-Yang Sword along the ground, carving a deep trench as he advanced.
Buzz…
The black-clad man didn’t answer. A black light cone vibrated softly, swirling with boundless deathly energy, exuding a lethal aura as it shot toward Tian Fan’s forehead like lightning.
Bang!
Unfazed, Tian Fan didn’t pause for even a moment. Though the Yin-Yang Sword in his hand appeared dim and lackluster, its swing seemed capable of shattering the heavens. With a diagonal slash, he sent the black light cone flying, where it crashed into the ground far away.
“This is your last chance. Speak—who sent you?!”
Seeing several of them appear together, Tian Fan was certain they weren’t mere rogue cultivators. They had to be backed by someone significant.
“Hmph…”
The black-clad man snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with a chilling glint. Without hesitation, he turned and fled into the distant sky, showing no anger or grief over his fallen comrades, as if the two corpses on the ground were complete strangers to him.
“Trying to escape?”
Tian Fan sneered, unbothered. With a swift movement, he executed Cloud Heaven Steps and vanished from sight. The fleeing black-clad man was shockingly fast, even making Tian Fan slightly uneasy. However, it changed nothing.
Swish…
Cloud Heaven Steps was unrivaled, hailed as the pinnacle of speed. Tian Fan instantly doubled his velocity, appearing beside the black-clad man in a flash, his golden palm striking out fiercely.
“Pfft…”
The black-clad man raised his arms to block, but it was futile—he was sent flying on the spot. His arms twisted unnaturally as he crashed onto the grass, tumbling far into the distance. Though heavily injured, he didn’t stop. He got up, cast a venomous glance at Tian Fan, and accelerated even more.
“Hmph, you can’t escape…”
Tian Fan snorted, rising into the air as he pursued at a steady pace.
Slash…
While still airborne, Tian Fan unleashed hundreds of silver sword beams. The black-clad man moved with exceptional agility, dodging swiftly with a rare level of finesse, but a few beams still managed to pierce through, leaving bloody holes in his body.
“Heh…”
The man merely chuckled coldly, showing no signs of stopping as he continued to flee.
“Hmm?”
Tian Fan frowned. This man was strong—very strong. He shouldn’t be running away without putting up a fight.
“This ends now!”
Tian Fan shouted coldly, unwilling to prolong the chase. His speed surged, his every step blurring into a mirage as if he were teleporting. His golden fist shook the void, crackling with fine streaks of lightning, as though linked to the heavens’ thunder, exuding an earth-shattering might.
“Heh heh…”
Despite facing such a terrifying attack, the black-clad man didn’t panic. Instead, he sneered, standing motionless without even attempting to defend himself.
“Not good!”
His reaction was far too strange—he wasn’t even trying to dodge. A sense of extreme danger erupted in Tian Fan’s heart, making his scalp tingle. Without hesitation, he executed Cloud Heaven Steps, instantly shifting a hundred meters to the side. By then, he had already left the grassy plains and entered a canyon.
Boom!
At that exact moment, a divine thunderbolt as thick as a person’s thigh crashed down from the sky with a terrifying force. It obliterated the spot where Tian Fan had stood just moments ago, leaving behind a massive, pitch-black crater so deep that the bottom couldn’t be seen.
“Heh, you even managed to dodge that. Your spiritual sense isn’t bad!”
A cold voice echoed from the other side of the canyon.
“But today, he will still die—there’s no escape!”
Another eerie voice followed. Tian Fan was all too familiar with both voices—he would never forget them.
“Thief, die!”
A thunderous roar rang out like a bolt of lightning striking the ground, shaking the canyon walls. A group of seventeen people, led by an elderly man with graying hair, emanated a murderous aura, their eyes ice-cold.
“Who are you? Why are you ambushing me here?”
Tian Fan looked at the group with a calm expression, showing no sign of change.
“Haha! You ask who I am? My only son was cruelly slain by you, and even the treasure bestowed upon him by his master was destroyed! You tell me—who do you think I am?”
An overwhelming killing intent radiated from the old man. He was none other than the Hall Master of the Illusory Gold Hall, a figure who had stood at the peak of Cloud Heaven for many years—an existence to be feared.
“Heh, you little beast! Do you know who I am?”
On the other side, another group of more than a dozen men stood with murderous intent. An old man with a head of fiery red hair stepped forward from the crowd, speaking coldly. He was equally terrifying—none other than the younger brother of the Divine Wind Hall Master. He had been at the peak of Cloud Heaven for decades, his body exuding terrifying waves of divine power, like a beast lurking in the shadows.
“Hmph, many people witnessed what happened that day. Right and wrong are clear in the hearts of men. They brought this upon themselves!”
Although he could sense the terrifying presence of these two old men, Tian Fan showed no fear or hesitation.
“Heh heh, devils always like to make excuses to cover up their sins…”
The eerie voice sounded again as a figure emerged from the canyon, walking side by side with another young man. Behind each of them stood an elder, both of whom were formidable. Seeing them, many people instinctively stepped aside.
“Huangpu is right—this villain is utterly evil, yet he still tries to act righteous. He must be executed!”
The young man beside him spoke, leisurely shaking the folding fan in his hand as he looked at Tian Fan with amusement.
“Huangpu Han, Yin Shitian—you two scum! One day, the Huangpu Clan and the Yin-Yang Sect will be destroyed because of you!”
Tian Fan’s gaze instantly turned cold. These two were the most despicable of them all—many of the events that had transpired could be traced back to them.
“Arrogant fool! Do you think you’re worthy of going against the Huangpu Clan?”
A young disciple sneered. He had received instructions from above—not only was he to kill Tian Fan before he could grow stronger, but he was also to use this opportunity to solidify ties with the Huangpu Clan and the Yin-Yang Sect.
“Scram!”
Tian Fan let out a cold shout, his eyes flashing with golden light. The young man was instantly sent flying, screaming in agony.
This person had once participated in the siege against him in Tianyun City. Back then, when Zi Ying appeared, Tian Fan had spared a few of them—this man was among them. At that time, his eyes had already shown a sinister glint, clearly harboring ill intentions. Tian Fan had noticed, but he had chosen not to kill him in front of Zi Ying.
“Impudence!” The younger brother of the Divine Wind Hall Master roared coldly. “Kneel down and accept your death! I will leave your corpse intact. Otherwise, I will strip away your three souls and seven spirits, condemning you to eternal torment in purgatory!”
“Heh heh, Son of God? Do you think you can kill someone from my ‘Demonic Saint Palace’ so easily? Everything was just a setup to lure you here—beyond that woman’s perception!”
The injured man in black sneered, surprising Tian Fan. He hadn’t expected him to be from the Demonic Saint Palace—a notorious assassin organization, formidable in strength. They were in no way weaker than the Yin-Yang Sect. In fact, they might even be stronger, for their entire faction thrived in the darkness, dealing solely in death.
“Demonic Saint Palace… Haha! You people claim to uphold righteousness, but you’re all hypocrites—one more despicable than the other. And now, you’re even working with assassins!”
Tian Fan laughed mockingly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with disdain.
“Hmph! Killing you doesn’t require any justification. Say whatever you like—it won’t change your fate. You will die today!”
A Grand Elder of the Shadow Spirit Pavilion stepped forward, speaking coldly.
“Heh… Good! Very good! If I survive today, I will personally visit each of you in the future!”
Tian Fan snorted coldly. At this moment, he was completely surrounded by dozens of people. A few of the elders among them made him wary—they were truly terrifying. However, even in the face of such overwhelming odds, he showed no fear. His body erupted with golden radiance, his battle intent soaring to the heavens…